


Run Away With Me

by SomedayonBroadway



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Arranged Marriage AU, F/M, Jack used to be a slave, Race and Crutchie still are, painter!Jack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-09-02 14:38:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16788922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomedayonBroadway/pseuds/SomedayonBroadway
Summary: By day, she was a faithful princess engaged to be married. By night, all of it was out the window... literally.





	Run Away With Me

The world was falling apart. Nothing was as it should be. If nothing else, her tears should've been falling and her agonized screams should've been heard. Instead, all she could feel was empty as she stood alone, looking that white dress up and down. She was supposed to feel beautiful. Instead, she felt _nothing_.

She tried to imagine him, his arms secured around her waist and his lips ghosting across her neck, telling her it would all be alright. For a moment, she could feel his body against hers and she could lean into his soft touch and loving reassurances.

And then that moment ended.

_"Run away with me..." A plea, mumbled between passionate kisses. They were so deep and pure and so desperate. But when she leaned back to kiss him one more time, gentle hands on her cheeks stopped her._

_"Katherine..." he breathed, the name dancing off of his tongue with so much sorrow and so much love. "You know I can't..."_

_Her body began to tremble under his touch, wishing it could stay till the end of time. As if the universe knew of their breaking hearts, the clouds above them began to cry, making her even more beautiful as the drops of water slid into her hair and he cradled her to him with all the strength he could muster, simply letting her cry against his chest as he lay flat on the grass below them, begging the clock to turn back so they could do it all over again._

_"I love you..."_

_"I love you so much..."_

It meant nothing to anyone else. Love was just a fairytale; a beautiful, make believe thing that no one was lucky enough to live out. Especially not her. Love was for fools.

Rain poured against the window, the earth rumbling with thunder whilst the sky cracked and screamed for two lovers who were torn apart, seemingly begging for them to be put back together, not understanding that it wasn't possible, that they weren't meant to be together despite how passionate and fierce their love had felt.

It wasn't meant to be.

_"I don't want to get married..."_

_"I know, darlin'..."_

_They were underneath their tree for one last time. His arms held her so tenderly as they simply sat with each other, breathing in one another before the world tore them apart again. They'd known it was coming. They'd known their love had a deadline._

_It didn't make it any easier._

_"Promise me ya won't forget me, Ace..."_

_Gentle kisses brushed over her shoulders as her heart crumbled in her chest, screaming out as it was sure it's voice could no longer be heard. The voice was shaking as the boy who held her fought back his own tears. Suddenly, Katherine could no longer stare idly at the lazy lake in front of them. Suddenly, it was all just fading to memories and she needed it to be real._

_Without warning she twisted in his lap, her hands rushing up to his hair so that she could easily capture his lips in hers in pure desperation for the night to never end. It poured as they sat there, sobbing against each other and shielding each other from anything else the world tried to throw at them._

_"How could I ever forget my Jack Kelly?"_

Sometimes she wished she could. Maybe it would make this easier. Not easy, but _easier_. There was no forgetting the stolen glances and the brush of their hands and the nights they'd forget they weren't meant to be together.

All the nights that Katherine had said, "To hell with it all," before running away with the boy who had stolen her heart.

What he didn't know was that she'd given him the key.

"Your highness..." someone called from the doorway, an almost sorry look in her eyes.

 _Almost_.

"It's time..."

Reaching up to wipe away her tears with her trembling hand was all she could do. Her heart was slowly crying, screaming out for its match as she took the other woman's hand and was lead out, into the grand castle she couldn't escape from.

_"There's my girl..."_

_Katherine's heart skipped a beat as she turned to her wide open balcony to find a young man casually leaning against the frame of the opening. "There's my artist," she smiled back, rushing over to jump into his arms. With a small grunt, he had her up off the ground. It felt like she was flying and her heart was content to stay up there forever._

_As her feet touched the floor again, the woman was able to take the boy's face in her hands and admire the sparkling green eyes that so adored watching her before gently leaning in for a much needed kiss. Their lips moved so perfectly together, it was almost impossible._

_"What's with all the makeup, sweetheart?" Jack laughed, a sort of sadness seeping into his voice as he pulled back from her, sighing as he took her in again. With a laugh, she began to take the sleeves of her gown and begin dabbing at her face. "No, wipe it off! You don't need it!" he insisted, taking both of her hands gently in his own. "I know somewhere we could go ta get it off..." he muttered, carefully pulling her a bit more towards him._

_A mischievous grin took over the young woman's features. "Well then, what are we waiting for?"_

_Jack mirrored that smile immediately, grasping onto her hand before rushing to the window and jumping over the balcony, rushing to begin climbing down a vine on the wall next to the banister. He held out his hand for the woman in the beautiful pink gown still standing behind bars that didn't do much to trap her. "Your highness," he smirked, inviting her to join him. With a small giggle, she sat down on the railing before kicking her legs over it, barely balancing on the edge before practically falling onto the boy's back._

_It wasn't long before they were running. Laughs rang out into the cool night air but no one was around to hear them. It was just them and the stars, and that was okay._

_"Jack! Slow down! No one saw us!" Katherine laughed as she let her artist grip her hand tightly, pulling her through the trees of the forest that stretched out across her land. He only laughed in response and pulled her further into the safety of the trees, rushing along the path that they both had come to know so well._

_It wasn't long before their hands were disconnected and they started stripping off their clothes down to their undergarments, letting the items fall along the path until their bare toes touched the water of the lake they'd begun to call their own so long ago. They froze on the edge, their breaths quick and unstable as the cold caused shivers to run through their spines._

_Katherine let her deep brown eyes wander over to the perfect young man standing next to her. His boyish smile made her heart melt every time she caught sight of it and the way his eyes lit up made her soul soar. Carefully, she slipped her small hand back into his and grinned when his beautiful green eyes shot over to her. The way he looked at her made made her feel more loved than she'd ever felt in her entire life._

_It felt like they could stay there forever, simply staring into each other's eyes and holding on so tightly to the fact that they were with each other and there was no one to stop them. But it wasn't long before that oh so familiar mischief took over those perfect green orbs. "Jack don't-" it was too late. Katherine squealed as the boy scooped her up and ran into the cool water, dunking her under before she could wiggle out of his grasp._

_"Jack Kelly!" the young princess scolded as Jack let her float out of his arms so they could face each other. She splashed at him and he laughed, reaching towards her and taking her face in his hands. Their chins were barely grazing the surface of the water, but neither of them seemed to care too much._

_She could feel his thumbs moving to wipe away the makeup that had been thrown on her face that morning. She saw his eyes wandering around her features, taking in every line and shape he could. She felt her cheeks heat up and she raised her hands to try and fix her hair before his own caught her wrists. "My God, Ace... how is it that every time I look at you, you's even more beautiful th'n b'fore?" he breathed, locking in on her eyes and making her heart beat so wildly in her chest, as if it was the first time his words had taken her over. "I wish there w's a way ta make time stop... so's I could j'st keep lookin' at ya..."_

_The moon shone down on them from above, somehow causing her to look even more beautiful than she already was, despite the colors that slipped down her face as the water did its best to wash it all away. She let her eyes close and she let her forehead lean up against her artist's. "I love you, Jack Kelly..."_

_"Run away with me..." he muttered, only slightly opening up his eyes to catch the look of shock that took over Katherine's face. "Please... once I buy Racer outta that mess and find Crutchie a roof ta live unda'... once I's can... please, darlin'..." His voice shook. "I's just need ta get my boys safe n' then I's c'n leave this place..."_

_Katherine wrapped her arms around her boy, letting him do the same._

_"I love ya, Ace..."_

He hadn't. He hadn't had enough. Not for any of it.

Katherine wiped at her face as she was lead down the staircase of her own castle. The journey seemed to be taking forever yet somehow it still wouldn't take long enough.

She wanted to run. She wanted to turn and run as far as she could. The only person she wanted to see was the one person she couldn't and that hurt too much. She squeezed her eyes shut as she walked, trying to imagine seeing forest green eyes and a stupid, charming smile as she was lead through the palace that had trapped her for too long.

"I can't do this..." she breathed, holding in her sobs as she forced her knees to keep her upright. She paused and she felt the woman holding her hand try to pull her forward. Shaking her head, Katherine refused to open her eyes. "I can't do this..." she repeated, a stray tear escaping down her cheek. Moving forward was too hard.

_A splash across Katherine's face startled her enough to cause her to flail around, having been peacefully floating on top of the water mere seconds ago in her undergarments. Putting her feet on the soft floor of the lake, Katherine turned to Jack who was squatting on the edge of the small body of water, glancing around wildly into the thick forest that surrounded. "Someone's comin'!" he whispered out in a haste._

_That was when she heard it. The voices, casually talking, still a ways away, but definitely getting closer. And right as Katherine might've said something, Jack clasped a hand over her mouth, pulling her out of the water and frantically looking around for the people that the voices belonged to. It wasn't long before he spun her around so their chests almost touched, carefully putting a finger up to his lips as a sign to be quiet. With a nod, she grabbed onto his offered hand and carefully stepped over to a tall tree._

_"Climb up, darlin'." At her puzzled expression, he rolled his eyes and rushed to grab the forgotten dress that was at the base of the tree trunk, wadding it up as best he could before tossing into the tall grass where it couldn't be seen. "They's catch me out here, I's had trouble sleepin' n' went fer a swim," he explained, much too calmly for her liking. "They's find you out here..."_

_He was right. So, she nodded as he bent down, giving her his hands to step on. She did so without another question._

_Katherine climbed as high as she dared, picking a branch to watch her artist jump back in the lake as the voices got closer. There were four men, clad up in suits that made t_ _hem easily identified as palace guards. They must've been doing some kind of round._

_"You there!" one of them called to the boy trudging out of the water, soaked from head to toe and shaking his head, trying to dry his short hair; the wonderfully soft brown hair that Katherine loved to run her hands through. "What brings you here at such a late hour?"_

_That stupid smirk and charming green eyes were instantly on the young man's face. "Evenin', gents!" he greeted, slowly walking over to grab his clothes, pulling his shirt on and stepping back into his pants. "Sorry 'bout this..." he laughed, scratching the back of his neck, making it a point to keep his focus down, terrified of giving Katherine away. "I w's havin' a bad night. Figured a swim might help..."_

The story had been bought within seconds. Jack Kelly was the best liar in the kingdom. He could spin a story no matter what the situation. It's how he escaped in the first place, that's what he'd told her.

Katherine remembered how it felt after the guards left. She'd tried to come back down but he was climbing before she could even try. She remembered the way his lips felt on her that night. She remembered when it started raining and how he'd laughed and shielded her from the worst of it.

Without a word, Katherine wrenched her arm from the grasp, sinking down to her knees, her priceless white gown falling around her as she could no longer hold back her tears. "God, what have we done...?" she muttered to herself as her servants and anyone else around rushed to help her up.

_The princess quietly pulled open the door to her balcony, a playful scowl on her face. "Jack Kelly!" she scolded quietly, leaning over her railing and looking down at the boy standing with a charming smile just below her. "You're gonna break my window with those rocks! Not to mention, get us caught!" A laugh escaped her as he rolled his eyes._

_"Well then maybe you's should come down here so's I don't gotta!" he teased, such a mischievous grin on his face._

_With a quick shake of her head, the young woman just threw her leg over the railing of her beautiful prison and she began to climb. She was in a haste. Sleep was few and far between for her now but she refused to care. She'd much rather be out with this boy than inside crying about how she hated that the choices that were supposed to be hers had been decided for her._

_There was a vine that Katherine climbed to get down, off of her balcony. Normally she got down no problem. That night, her foot got caught somewhere along the line and she screamed as she went tumbling down only to feel arms catch her and hear a quick grunt before she was on the ground... er... on top of someone who was on the ground._

_"Now who's tryin' ta get us caught?!" Jack laughed, gently pushing the woman off of his chest before standing to his feet and quickly helping her up. "Geez, Plumber!" And before she could answer him, she was squealing in happiness as he wrapped his arms around her thighs and lifted her up in the air, spinning her around in his arms before she leaned down to giddily kiss him._

_"I love you..." he whispered gently, gazing up at her as she pulled away with the grin still upon her lips. God, her smile could brighten the sun._

_"I love you too, my artist..." Katherine leaned her forehead against her painter's head and simply closed her eyes, relishing in that perfect moment._

_They never did last forever._

_"Who goes there?!"_

_Four eyes snapped open and a sort of smug smirk took over both of their faces. "Time ta run, love," the princess said, slipping back onto her feet as the man eagerly nodded._

_"Let's go then, darlin'!"_

_And off they ran into the darkness of the night, retreating into their very own, perfect forest._

"Don't make me do this!" she begged. Never in her life had she felt this feeling.

Her love wasn't dead. He was out there somewhere. She just couldn't have him. She didn't want to love anyone else. There was nothing else like being in his arms or running with him through the night. There was no one like her artist. Now she was being torn from him like it was nothing more than a mistake.

She thought it had been, once.

It wasn't. Not her artist. Jack Kelly was no mistake. Jack Kelly was everything.

_Giggles erupted from Katherine's chest as she was pushed back onto her own bed, her hands loosely held above her as soft, caring lips traveled up and down her neckline. "We have to stop doing this..." she whispered giddily, no real momentum behind the words as she melted beneath the touch of the man on top of her. She got no response, only groaning as lips sucked on her perfect skin and her eyes rolled back into her head. "Jack..." she breathed as his lips made their way along her jawline. She tightened a fist in her painter's hair as he moaned against her skin._

_"Don' tell me ta stop now, darlin'..." he whispered, his voice almost pleading, only pulling away for a moment before he captured her in a kiss, moving their mouths together and letting her roll on top of him in the beautiful bed they were on. "I don' wanna go yet..."_

_"Jack!" The hiss made Jack laugh as he pulled away from another kiss and let his eyes wander down to the grin on his princess's face as his hands traveled down her hips. Green eyes gleamed with mischief just before Jack managed to flip on top of the young woman again, pinning her beneath him as she squealed in surprise. "Jack! I'm supposed to meet my fiancé today and you're ruining my hair!" she laughed, her giggles lighting up Jack's world as brushed thin curls away from her face._

_"Oh please don't remind me..." The words were barely audible as he went in for some more kisses, loving the way Katherine's bare neck and chest felt below his lips. She was so soft it was impossible. He couldn't understand how one woman could be so unmistakably perfect. "Just a few more minutes..." he begged, running his hands up and down her hips and wishing he could rip the corset away along with the dress and everything that came with it._

_"Jack..."_

_"I gotcha, love..."_

_And she melted beneath him, unable to say another word as he loved on her, peeling back her dress as much as he could while still trying to maintain her appearance. She didn't stop him from marking her, not even conscious of the fact that it could be seen after they were done. She just let him wander around her before she began clawing at the young painter's jacket. He laughed and helped her rip it off, tossing it back into the open closet before continuing on their way, trying to be as quiet as they could be as they trailed the border of what they knew was wrong._

_Finally, his lips met hers again and she kissed him back like her life depended on it, reaching up to gently cup his face as he carefully held her body to his own. They let reality melt away as they just took in each other, just for another moment. They didn't have long and they knew that, but right now they just didn't care._

_"Princess," someone called. "You're father and Lord Williams are waiting for you in the foyer..."_

_Before Katherine could stop herself, she rolled Jack over so he was nothing more than a heap on he ground. The second he had some sense back, he scrambled under the bed. It was then that the door opened._

She'd been such a mess. Her laughter could hardly be contained as her maid ushered her out of her room, knowing her hair was a disaster and her dress wasn't properly adjusted. But the young girl had told her that the painter should be there soon to paint the first portrait of her and her new fiancé.

The amount of times she tripped to give Jack Kelly a head start was more than she'd tripped in her entire life.

Lord Williams was nice enough. _Darcy_ , he was kind and gentle and any woman should dream of having a man like him by her side, but damnit he wasn't hers. He wasn't _Jack_.

"Your highness, you must get up... everyone is waiting..."

Everyone. Everyone was waiting to see her give her life away. It wasn't her choice. It never was.

_Katherine sat to Darcy's right, her chair a bit lower to the ground than his. She couldn't bring herself to sit up straight, nor give even the slightest of smiles. The man's hand was on her shoulder and she had to keep from rolling her eyes. This isn't what she'd asked for._

_It wasn't until a certain painter with paint smudges on his shirt knelt down in front of her with a quick wink and began shamelessly adjusting her dress for her that she was able to feel something. "What's with that pout princess?" he asked with a smirk. Katherine caught him glancing back at her betrothed with that smug look on his face. No doubt, Darcy didn't like it. Not one bit._

_When he was done with the dress, Jack moved up to her hair, brushing it back and making sure it looked perfect, falling down at her shoulders just precisely before clipping her chin and carefully forcing her shoulders back so she was more up right. "Where's that smile a' yours, beautiful?"_

_With a sort of forced sarcasm, Katherine gave him the weakest smile she could manage. He laughed at that, his perfect chuckle causing an actual smile to spread across her face and he grinned back at her. "There it is!" he encouraged, still gently holding onto her chin. "There's my pretty smile..." he teased, as though he was talking to a child. Katherine wished beyond anything she could kiss that arrogance off of his perfect face in that moment._

_His. She was his._

_When Jack did a three sixty of the couple again, Katherine barely noticed him nonchalantly removing her betrothed's hand from her shoulder. She was too busy trying to keep herself from admiring certain concentrated green eyes that only a few hours ago had been staring her down as if he could see into her soul._

The young princess couldn't remember moving. All she knew was that she was suddenly standing with her father, a line of people in front of her beginning to walk down an isle that she didn't even want to look at. "Katherine, darling... don't be this way..."

"I don't love him..." she admitted, still trying to clear her face of any tears that would smudge her makeup. She had no doubt that she looked like a mess. Her father just grabbed onto her vail, pulling it over her and then carefully pulling her to him, wrapping his arms around her and shushing her.

"Sometimes I wish it didn't have to be this way, dearest..." he whispered, only causing her to struggle back more tears as she tried to calm herself down in her father's arms. "I wish you could be happy... but that isn't life, Katherine..."

The young woman pulled back, shaking herself out of it. "I'm in love, father..." she admitted with a small shake of her head. A bitter laugh escaped her as she wished beyond anything she could forget that stupid, beautiful boy that she loved so dearly. "Of all the artists in the kingdom... you had to pick Jack Kelly..." she accused lightly, trying to brighten up the mood a little bit.

It was her wedding day. Wasn't she supposed to be happy?

A knowing smirk spread across the old man's face before sorrow filled his eyes instead. "I'm sorry, my darling..."

It wasn't his fault. It was true he'd been hard on her her whole life but he did care. He did love her more than anything in the world. But the kingdom was the priority. And so, when the doors opened, she slid her arms through his and took a deep breath, trying to picture a cocky artist waiting for her at the end of the isle.

_She was running. She didn't care that she was in her nightgown. She needed out. She needed out of that palace and out of that room and away from those dreams that would always haunt her. She needed to know he was okay._

_Visions of Jack chained up and beaten had been showing up whenever she closed her eyes ever since Jack had opened up to her. Ever since Jack had told her just a few of the horrors of his past._

_Their lake was the only location she could think of going. He had to be there. She didn't know what she'd do if he wasn't there._

_"Shhhh! Someone's comin'!" she heard a familiar voice hiss. Her heart sank as her mind went to the worst thing possible._

_It was all an act. He didn't love her. He was here with someone else._

_"Racer, take the bread and go! If you get caught I will neva' be able ta live with myself!"_

_"Jack, I can't-"_

_Racer._

_She knew about Racer. Jack had told her about Racer. Who was Racer?_

_She rushed over to a nearby tree, carefully peaking out into the opening near her lake, catching a glimpse of the scene. The first thing she saw was her artist, panicking and quickly bringing a terrified younger boy to his chest for a fierce hug. The little boy seemed to cling to Jack for dear life before the painter gently pushed him away, shoving a loaf of bread into the boy's hand. "Take it an' run, kid..."_

_"What 'bout, Crutchie?" It came out as a sob. Racer was backing up slowly, clearly not wanting to leave._

_"He's fine, Race. I promise it'll be okay. It won't be too much longer..." Jack promised. "Now go!"_

_The kid was off like a shot, rushing away like his life depended on it._

_It did. Racetrack; one of Jack's surrogate brothers from when he was back in that awful place, simply someone's slave. Jack had gotten out, but Race hadn't been so lucky._

_For a few moments, Katherine was too stunned to move. She could hear the way Jack was trying to keep himself from crying. She wished he'd let her help, but he was right. If she gave him money to buy a slave, questions would start being asked. She couldn't do as she pleased. She had duties and restrictions too._

_"Jack?" she called out quietly, finally moving from her hiding place, suddenly feeling guilty that she hadn't stopped that terrified boy from leaving._

_The young painter's body tensed as he whipped around, fists raised up in front of his chest as he was ready for a fight. When he saw his princess standing there, tears streaming down her face in her nightgown, his whole body softened and his hands slowly dropped back down. "Hi sweetheart..." he greeted softly, slowly beginning to walk to her. He didn't make it three feet before she jumped into his arms and held him tighter than she ever had before._

_"Run away with me..." she pleaded, never wanting her boy to be hurt or scared ever again._

_The fierce kiss she was pulled into gave her hope. Maybe. Maybe they could someday. But then he pulled away, tears in his perfect green eyes._

_"I love you, princess..."_

_That was the only answer she got._

The feeling she had rolling around inside of her whilst walking down the isle was incomparable. It was like everything inside of her was screaming out for her to turn around and run into her lover's arms and stay there for the rest of time.

Everyone was staring at her. There wasn't a single person in the entire room that wasn't staring right at her.

Nothing. She felt nothing. At least, that's what she tried to convince herself. It was better than feeling the agony that was really there.

 _"I love you... Katherine... I love you..."_ the words uttered for the first time at a place later known as their lake. The words that replayed over and over and over again in her head as she walked towards a man who wasn't her painter. He wasn't Jack.

When she made it to the end of the walkway that wasn't quite long enough, her father gave her away without so much as a word from her. She wished he'd come back and walk her back the other way. She wished she could freeze time. She wished...

_"I wish there w's a way ta make time stop... so's I could j'st keep lookin' at ya..."_

Her sob was barely heard over the perfect music playing in the background. But as she reached out for Darcy's hands, he gave her the most heartbroken look she'd ever seen.

_"Mr. Kelly?"_

_"Don' move too much, darlin'..." the artist warned, a small smile on his lips as he let his paintbrush dance across the canvas where he was creating his masterpiece. "I don't think your fiancé'll like it too much if he can't tell what ya look like 'cause ya couldn't sit still," he quipped, giving her a quick wink before slowly walking over to her and fixing one of her perfect curls._

_"That's just it..." she stated slowly, her slight smile leaving her features for a moment as the artist's fingers gently grazed her cheek. She was kidding herself if she said she didn't find this young man at least somewhat attractive. His stupid handsome smirk and his stupid, beautiful green eyes had found her lost more than a few times. Okay, he was most definitely one of the most handsome men she'd ever met. But it couldn't be. He would be gone in a few weeks and that would be that. Right? "How am I supposed to marry someone I've never even seen before?" she asked, not really understanding why she was asking him. She supposed she didn't talk to many people. This boy had never seemed to mind her asking questions, random as they may be. "I mean... he could have grey hair and yellow teeth and I'd still have to be his wife!"_

_A laugh escaped the painter in front of her. He didn't move from right in front of her as she continued to move around, not too comfortable at the moment. He continued to fix her hair and dress, not caring that it sent shivers up her spine. Damn it he was just so beautiful. "Well, sweetheart..." he began, leaning over her. Her heart began to pound wildly in her chest._

_For the first time she realized that they were the only two people in the room. His hands where on either side of her hips and his face was mere inches from hers. "J'st cause you's marry the man, don't mean ya gotta love him," he shrugged._

_He'd flirted with her since day one. Painters were like that, right? It's just something they did. "And... what if... what if I wanted to have something with someone else...?" she asked hesitantly._

_A grin took over the man's face as he seemed to get even closer. "Well, princess..." he breathed. She could feel his breath on her skin and butterflies danced around in her chest. "What are you waitin' for?"_

_And without another word, she was pushing herself off of her chair, her hands tangled in the artist's hair as she let him hold her tightly to him._

_The next time the took a deep breath was about five minutes later, both of them looking disheveled, but more happy and giddy than they'd ever been in their entire life._

_The artist pulled away, a laugh spilling from his lips. "Well, princess, I do believe the lighting just won't be good for this for another week or so..." he mused with a wink. She grinned and locked her arms around him before they were lost to the recklessness of themselves._

"I do..."

Katherine snapped out of her thoughts at the words. They were already that far? What happened? How had she missed it?

"Do you, Princess Katherine Pulitzer-" _No. please stop... I can't do this..._ "Take this man, to be your husband-" _Stop! This isn't happening!_

"I-"

Doors slammed open. Gasps filled the entire room as every eye once again turned to the start of the long isle. Katherine couldn't move, her heart stuttering as she saw him rushing towards her, tears in his eyes, soaked from the rain and paint smeared all over his clothes. Guards were just behind him, swords raised above their heads.

"No!"

Katherine began running. Her priceless shoes slipped off of her feet as she met her artist halfway. He fell to his knees just in time for her to collide with him, letting him wrap her up in strong arms and shower her with perfect kisses. "Jack!" she cried, clinging to him like if she let go he might disappear.

An uproar rose in the palace, people shouting their confusions and guards barking out orders. "Jack, you have to get out of here-"

"I love you, darlin'..."

"They'll kill you! You have to go!"

"Run away with me!"

She froze at those words; those words that she so desperately wished they could obey. Without a warning, she pushed away from his chest and threw her vail back over her hair, revealing her tear tracked face and running makeup.

When their lips met, magic flowed through their veins. The screams and shouts faded into the background and all that was left was them.

He was pulled from her before she could stop them but he got away, giving her one last pleading look. This was it. This was the last chance. And with a quick glance back at the man at the alter, she gave a sad smile, carefully sliding the ring off of her finger. "I'm sorry..." she mouthed, before letting her painter grab her wrist.

She never looked back again.

_"Princess! That artist is here to paint your portrait for Lord Williams!" someone called. Katherine groaned, but she closed her book up in her lap and stood, making sure her hair and letting out a sigh._

_"Just a few more months, Katherine..." she assured herself. Then she would be queen. She just had to marry a complete stranger and spend the rest of her life with him like they were two fools in love._

_Fools. That's who did fall in love. It was a fantasy, all of it. Love wasn't real. If it was, this wouldn't be happening. If love was real, it would come and find her. So she forced herself down the stairs of her castle until her feet carried her down to a grand foyer._

_Her father gave her a smile as he gestured to the man behind him. The very young man behind him. "There you are dearest. This will be the young man who will paint your portrait for Lord Williams," he introduced._

_The young man had paint all over his hands and all over his shirt. He looked a bit distracted and all Katherine could do was patiently wait while he composed himself enough to look up and smirk at her._

_Katherine's heart skipped a beat at those wonderful green eyes that locked in on her. "Princess," he nodded, holding out his hand. She carefully placed hers in his and felt her breath catch in her chest as he ghosted his lips across her knuckles and then smiled back up at her._

_"Katherine! Please..." she quickly corrected. "Katherine... Plumber..." she sighed, her mother's maiden name slipping out rather than the one that makes people so crazy._

_"What's the matta', ain't ya sure?"_

_With a shake of her head, she ignored him, giving him a small smile. "It's nice to meet you, Mister..." she breathed, not knowing why exactly to call him._

_"Kelly," the big quickly offered. His stupid smile made her melt. She couldn't take her eyes off of him. "Jack Kelly."_

Yes. Only fools fall in love. And if Katherine could make time go backwards, she'd be a fool all over again.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, guys! Make sure to tell me what you liked, what you didn’t, what you’d change or what you’d improve by leaving me a review! Love ya fansies!


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